Soviet Union
The Soviet Union, also known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was the period of Russia when it was ruled as a Communist state by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was a totalitarian one-party state that had a strictly centralized government and economy, all controlled by the Communist party. The Soviet Union was founded by the Bolshevik party, who overthrew the previous Tsarist regime, then Losif Stalin lead Russia into becoming a very powerful nation. The Soviet Union then became one of the major superpowers of the Cold War, before the Union then dissolved in 1991 and transformed into the Russian Federation. History Early History The origins of the Soviet Union are traced back to World War I, when the corruption and failures of the Romanov Tsarist regime become too much for Russia, leading Communist Vladimir Lenin and his socialist Bolshevik party to launch a revolution that topples Tsar Nicholas II. This leads to the Russian Civil War, which sees fierce fighting between the Tsarist White Army and the Communist Red Army, with the Reds ultimately taking control of Russia and driving out the White movement, leaving White Russian emigres finding themselves in exile in outside countries, yet still wishing to return and overthrow the Communists. Russia was then transformed into the Soviet Union by Lenin and the Bolshevik Red Army. Vladimir Lenin died in 1924, leading to a power struggle between the two main candidates of succession, Leon Trotsky and Losif Stalin. In the end, Stalin won control and became leader of the Soviet Union in 1925, while Trotsky was exiled, hunted down and executed. Stalin transformed introduced heavy industry, collectivization and military buildup that turned Russia from an agrarian country into one of the world's strongest and most powerful industrial and military powers. However, his reign coincided with a famine that largely affected Ukraine as well as ordering massive purges that leads to millions of deaths. In the early 1930s, Adolf Hitler became leader of Germany, and immediately, Stalin and Hitler staunchly opposed one another, with their two countries becoming the greatest opponents and competitors to each other in the world, which would culminate in the upcoming conflict. World War II When World War II began with Imperial Japan's brutal invasion of China, Russia immediately began expanding heavily in its military, creating one of the strongest armies in the world. After that, the Russians firmly defeated Japanese forces at Khalkin Gol in Mongolia, then the Soviets invaded Iran. After this, the Soviets invade Finland, but they become stalled by fierce Finnish resistance. However, the Nazi Germans brutally invade Russia, crushing Soviet Army resistance as they make their way towards Moscow. Tragically, on the way, the Nazis launch a cruel genocide of the Russian people, killing tens of millions of them. Even so, the Russians keep fiercely resisting the Germans in a series of vicious battles. Stalin, though in despair at the ruthless German invasion, refuses to back down and even remains defiantly in Moscow as the city comes under assault. Ultimately, the Russians keep fighting and successfully defend the crucial cities of Moscow and Stalingrad, then the Russians launch fierce counterattacks that drive the Germans out of Russia. Germany commits its greatest military strength to trying to beat the Russians, but the Russian counteroffensives prove to be the key to Germany's downfall, for the Russians destroy most of Germany's greatest military strength. In an attempt to save Germany, in late 1944, Japan launches another attack into Siberia, but the Russians fiercely crush them, and in response, the infuriated Soviets invade Japanese held Manchuria, viciously destroying all Japanese forces there. After finally crushing Finland and taking Poland, Russian forces march into Germany itself, making their way to Berlin. After much vicious fighting, the Russians finally capture the city as Hitler commits suicide and Germany surrenders, finally ending the war in Europe. Cold War With the end of World War II, the Soviets occupied Germany East of the Elbe river, while the Western Allies occupied all of Germany West of the river. The Soviets greatly punished Germany for the war, even stripping its industry and factory machinery to help repair the Soviet Union. Stalin also refused the part of Germany in their territory to receive the benefits of the Marshall plan. While the Allies heavily rebuilt Germany into a very strong and independent country, ending their occupation in 1950, the Soviets built their occupied Germany into a Soviet satellite. This split Germany between the country of Germany West of the Elbe River and the state of Soviet Germany East of the river, with the borderline becoming heavily militarized with German border guards and US forces on the Western side and Soviet German police and Russian Soviet forces on the East. Stalin, who has a deep hatred for the West, especially the United States, enacts a foreign policy to strictly counter the United States and support Communist movements across the globe. Stalin also has a strong military buildup in the face of American military power. Stalin also supports Communist forces in the Chinese Civil War, and when the Communists gain victory and take over mainland China, Stalin builds a very strong relationship between Russia and China. When US forces assist Israel in the Palestine War beginning in 1947, Stalin sends Soviet forces to assist the Palestinian and Arab forces in the war, and in 1950, when the Americans are battling Chinese forces in the Korean War, Stalin sends Soviet troops to intervene on the side of the Chinese when US forces fiercely push the Chinese back to the Yalu river, causing the war to rage for several more years. Russian forces engaged American forces in both places, but it doesn't lead to full on war. However, Stalin's death in 1955 leads to his replacement by Nikita Khrushchev, who leads a reduction in Soviet confrontation with the United States, leading to somewhat improved relations, though China disapproves of Khrushchev's de-Stalination process, as the Chinese viewed Stalin as a strong leader for Communism. However, the Soviets back Socialist rebels lead by Fidel Castro in Cuba, turning the country into a Communist state. In response to US missiles stationed in Turkey, the Soviets place troops and missiles in Cuba. In response, American forces raid Cuba, fighting past Cuban and Soviet troops to eliminate the missile bases, prompting a Soviet raid in Turkey against US missile bases. From 1960 to 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union have a standoff, threatening nuclear war. Khrushchev sends another batch of missiles to replace those disabled by the US raids in Cuba, but the US blockades Cuba and threatens total war if the Soviet ships carrying the missiles continue. Ultimately, Khrushchev backs off, but relations deteriorate between the two powers, and the Soviets once again take on a policy of confrontation with the US. As such, Soviet forces see fierce fighting in the Indochina wars against US forces in Vietnam and the rest of Indochina, while Soviet forces also see hard fighting in the Simba Wars against US forces in Central Africa. Later on, Soviet troops assault US forces on the island of Okinawa, while also helping Soviet German police in battle with German border guards and US forces in the German Elbe Conflict. In 1972, US relations greatly improve and strengthen with China, and with America and China now forming a very strong relationship, a rift occurs between Russia and China, with the Soviets condemning the Chinese as cowards and traitors, leading to a split. Eventually, Khrushchev steps down from power due to his failure to maintain relations with China, though rumors say he was forcibly removed and put into a gulag. He is replaced in 1979 by Mikhail Gorbachev, who becomes the new premier. In 1979, the Soviets invade Afghanistan and Pakistan, battling Afghan and Pakistani forces as well as Mujahideen resistance, who are supported by the United States and China. Eventually, after years of vicious fighting, the Soviets find themselves unable to hold the countries and withdraw. In the 1980s, Gorbachev launches reforms, such as glasnost and parastroika. However, KGB hardliners opposed to the reforms launch a coup to seize the government, but the coup fails and leads to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, bringing an end to the Communist regime. Politics and Society The society of the Soviet Union was a very brutal leftist totalitarian society with very strict and harsh rules adhering to a staunch Communist system. The Soviet regime made very strict decisions for all aspects of life and had very tight control over all their subjects. Everything was heavily regulated by the regime and the Communist Party, and they greatly enforced doctrines that adhere to espousing Communism and heated Russian nationalism. All people were taught greatly to be fiercely patriotic, to be very aggressive to their enemies and to be completely obedient to their leaders. Any and all who disobeyed or protested were very harshly punished, imprisoned or even executed. Strict censorship was put in place and any ideas which disagreed with the state were completely eradicated. The Soviets created an extremely strict militaristic, nationalistic and Communist society. All was collectivized and controlled by the central government, while those who served the state were rewarded, and the state was also strictly anti-religious, tearing down religious institutions and persecuting religious practitioners. Along with Communism, fierce Russian nationalism and anti-Western sentiment was heavily indoctrinated. Any type of liberal and democratic thinking was heavily suppressed and those whose views contradicted the state were brutally punished and killed. There was also a good amount of anti-Semitic discrimination in the Soviet Union. Laws often discriminated and persecuted Jews in Russia, owing largely to the belief in Jews being one of the "masterminds of Capitalism". Massive numbers of Jews had their homes and shops taken away, with a great many Jews being executed, assaulted, imprisoned and forced to work to death in labor camps. Military For the Stalinist era forces of the Soviet Union, see Red Army For the Cold War era forces of the Soviet Union, see Soviet Armed Forces In Cimil's World The Soviet Union very commonly appears in settings that feature a World War II or Cold War setting, such as the Call of Duty, Battlefield, Medal of Honor, Johnny Storm, James Bond, and even in the Halo and Steve N' Gregory series, in which they are either shown as protagonists or antagonists, depending on the story or setting. Trivia Category:Call of Duty Category:Halo Category:Battlefield Category:Medal of Honor Category:Johnny Storm Category:007 Category:Sides Category:Cimil's History